Community Gardens - Healthy Partnerships

About the Program

Category: Parks and Recreation (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department partnered with the North Carolina State University’s Cooperative Extension Service and with neighborhood groups and community organizations to provide eight urban community gardens in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, NC. The gardens are on the property of various facilities of Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department. The innovative aspect of these gardens is the key role of the community partnerships established by the county utilized to foster the program. The gardens are designed, developed and constructed in coordination with local residents to promote community interaction, provide green space and allow citizens to plant healthy vegetables and gardens close to their homes. The program rents garden plots to residents for a small fee. The program has been so successful that the county has expanded and added several gardens. The initiative now has ten gardens and county officials are considering further expansion in the future. Each year more of the county’s residents are visiting the gardens and utilizing the fresh produce.